Economic Empowerment
Call for Applications: 2013 SEED Awards seek innovative projects on gender equality and women’s empowerment
UN Women joins the European Union, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the government of Flanders, the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the international law firm Hogan Lovells in supporting the SEED Award, an initiative that aims to help the most promising start-up entrepreneurs, women-led enterprises and other social and environmental inspiring businesses to integrate ideas and proposals to address pressing local issues.
Women peace advocates put forth key recommendations for Sahel region
UN Women calls for greater participation of women to achieve peace in Sahel and urge world leaders to protect and advance women’s rights
Sahel Conference says women’s full participation essential to conflict resolution and economic recovery
Press release on the Sahel Conference: Some 40 women from the Sahel met today to underline the crucial contributions women from the region are making to economic recovery, political stability and conflict prevention, and to explore ways to enhance their role in these areas.
Speech by Lakshmi Puri at the High-level Conference on Women’s Leadership in the Sahel
Speech by Lakshmi Puri, Acting Head of UN Women, at the High-level Conference on Women’s Leadership in the Sahel, 9 April 2013, Brussels, Belgium
Domestic workers gain equal rights in Brazil
On the occasion of the enactment of a new law granting equal rights to domestic workers last week, UN Women launched a study on the positive impact of formalizing such employment, both for Brazil’s economy and for the country’s efforts to reduce poverty.
On World Water Day, UN Women spotlights the need to ensure access to drinking water and sanitation for all
On World Water Day, UN Women is calling attention to the urgent need to increase access to clean water and basic sanitation and to support the initiative of UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson to enhance progress on sanitation ahead of the 2015 target date for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Ms. Lakshmi Puri statement at the first session of the meeting of the open working group on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Statement by Ms. Lakshmi Puri Deputy Executive Director of UN Women at the first session of the meeting of the open working group on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). New York, 15 March 2013. I would like to thank the Co-Chairs for giving UN Women the opportunity to speak today. I would like to focus [...]
Domestic Workers Count Too: Ensuring protection, upholding rights
At a side event on 11 March, UN Women launched a new briefing kit on laws and services for domestic workers and highlighted the need for more coherent, gender-sensitive and rights-based migration and labour policies, as well as accountability and compliance.




